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New York Assembly passes bill to ban reparative therapy for youth

The New York State Assembly passed a bill to ban so-called "reparative therapy," or "gay conversion therapy," for minors under age 18. The bill was passed by the Assembly 86 to 28.

According to the American Psychological Association, reparative therapy is harmful to children and adolescents because the practice stems from the false belief that having same-sex attractions is a mental disorder, and children may see their inability to successfully change their sexual orientation as a moral failure. The American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973, and the general consensus of all major medical and mental health associations is that reparative therapy is dangerous.

The new bill would ban all licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health practitioners, and physicians from using reparative therapy on anyone under 18. The bill has been passed along to the Senate to be voted on.

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